Skyline FAQ: All You Need To Know About Us

Research based Learning (RBL):
Research based learning: Research based learning is an advanced system of teaching we implemented on certain subjects at Skyline Academy. It’s all about encouraging Children to take charge of their learning process and seek out answers for themselves with resources and tools provided. Any society/individual that has a poor research culture is destined for mediocrity; hence, our implementation of research based learning at Skyline Academy.

Customized Learning: Have you ever wished you could rewind your maths teacher? I know I have – many times in the past and sure you have too at certain moments in your academic history – have wished that you could rewind your maths teacher due to lack of comprehension. Customized education is the future of learning; a system of educating where everyone can move at their pace without feeling judged and ridiculed. This is why we adopted a world class digital maths program; a program where every Child has a personalized virtual maths tutor they can always consult – anywhere, anytime, and for any reason. More details here: 21 Unequaled Benefits of Paperless Classrooms.NOTE: Our Grade 1 Examination questions has been made available online. You can click any of the links below to go through them and cross-examine your grade 1 aged Child(ren):

Understanding Mathematics: Most children grow up with an aversion for mathematics due to factors like – starting school too early(before the brain is developed enough to process mathematical concepts with reasonable comfort), poor presentation of maths – accompanied by the lack of the robust reading and comprehension skill needed to understand the numerous word sentence problems that characterize maths at the early stages. This is rigorously and comprehensively tackled at Skyline Futuristic Eco West African Academy via a robust and thorough reading and comprehension program alongside an animated and highly engaging presentation of maths concepts that is strategically designed to protect our pupils interest in mathematics while simultaneously preserving and improving the quality of the lessons learned.

Paradigm shift: One of our core implementation at Skyline Academy is to create a paradigm shift in the mind of our students to switch from a consumer-oriented mind, to a producer-orientation. One of the ways we do this by introducing coding, robotics and digital and creative arts to our students starting from grade one – wherein they begin to learn and master the process of creating digital contents like simple games and animations using coding. The idea is to get them to think in terms of producing these digital contents they enjoy that commands a trillion dollar industry globally against just obsessing over consuming it. I mean, why import when you can export?

Use of English:Most people in certain countries where English is a second language (like Nigeria) speak a kind of English that is virtually incomprehensible to a native speaker of the English language. English may not be our first language but what is worth doing is worth doing well. If we are going to speak the English language; we might as well use the proper diction and sentence structures. Our highly digitized reading and phonics classes are designed as such that our pupils get highly relevant exposures to native speakers of the English language which is one of the most tested and recommended ways to learn a foreign language effectively. Our phonics lessons are also highly accurate and regularly updated in keeping with global standards in the use of English; not to mention that good speaking boosts confidence, and confidence is a core ingredient for success. Also, we use Dr. Seuss as an integral part of our reading program. In essence, English(reading) is the foundation of learning other subjects; ensuring that your Child engages the use of English properly is a passionate and unequaled commitment from us at Skyline Futuristic Eco West African Academy!

Skyline Academy Enugu StudentCoding and Robotics: In case you have not heard, coding is the new mathematics. Coding is a digital language that has many dialects (Java, C#, Python etc). It is the language of digital creation as every electronic device(phone, computer, air-conditioner etc) you can think of – has a program written into it. And at Skyline Academy, we offer a world class programming and robotics course both as as an after school program on Saturdays and within the school curriculum.

Cultural Preservation: We will not efficiently and effectively preserve our culture by holding rallies and raising awareness on the importance of preserving our culture and language. We can only effectively preserve our culture by being productive and on par with foreign cultures in productivity – of which technological advancements is at the forefront. Our people are ‘progressives’, hence – our basic lifestyles should be in synchronization with all the technological advancements that makes life richer; because if these technological advancements are experienced by our Children in foreign cultures, then they will be inclined and extremely predisposed to taking up the precepts of that culture at the detriment of the culture of their homeland; and they will not only abandon the culture of their homeland but will literally abandon their homelands. Just like the current migrant crises in the Mediterranean which is basically a desperate migration of African’s who have lost faith in their ability to make a difference in their homelands. And this is substantially due to failed academic systems that failed to equip them with skills and worldviews needed to drive their countries into 21st century developmental merits. A Child in grade 3, 5, Secondary, University etc should be able to meet their counterparts in any part of the world and have no knowledge gap because any knowledge gap on the negative subconsciously whispers an inferior academic system, and by extension;- culture. This is why it is of critical importance to us at Skyline Futuristic Eco West African Academy that we deliver the best advancements education has to offer via technology, and do what we can to stay ahead of the best educational precepts right here in Nigeria. More details here: 21 Unequaled Benefits of Paperless Classrooms.

Quality of Staff and Programs: Our Academy is run by “Certified Google Educators;” who have been trained and officially certified by the Education Centre of Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View California, USA; for demonstrating the advanced knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to implement and integrate Google for Education tools. We also offer the official “Google Computer Science First” program. We are also a pioneer school that natively offers programming and robotics to children in West Africa to boost technological literacy. Other institutions through which our staff have been trained include University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Oracle Academy amonst others.

Present and Future Prospects: The role information and communication technology is currently playing, and is projected to play in the future leaves very little to the imagination. Being highly skilled in the use of digital tools is an invaluable skill that will inevitably put your Child ahead of the competition before and after formal education has run its course.

For a more comprehensive list of reasons why you should join us, click the following links:

Our Teacher to Student RatioSince you use tablets, computers, and digital tools, does that mean your pupils will not know how to write with a pen and paper?

No. In our subject; “The Art of Writing,” our Pupils use a pen and a paper to write. Writing is a delicate art that is given special care and attention at Skyline Futuristic. The Art of Writing is a subject that is also designed to enable our Pupils respect and note down their thoughts on a consistent basis. Societies with more writers invariably have a larger number of readers. In other words, one of the most efficient way to make our society a reading society is to make it a writing society which is why writing is given a high priority at Skyline Futuristic Eco West African Academy.

However, we understand that time spent writing down notes from the board on every subject is not the most astute use of time which partly informed our decision to adopt e-books and separate writing as a distinct subject so as to ensure that the time designated to learn each subject is 100% used in learning and comprehending the subject against 40-50% of the allotted time used in writing down notes as is prevalent in the current Primary/Secondary Education modus operandi.Is your Curriculum in line with the Nigerian Basic Education Curriculum?

Yes. Our Curriculum is well grounded in the revised 2015 NERDC basic education curriculum. Our curriculum also integrates the full American common core curriculum. This means that our Pupils will be able to sit for all of Nigeria’s State and Federal Basic Education exams (e.g. First School leaving certification exam, Federal common entrance exam etc.) and come through with flying colours.What is your teacher to student ratio?

We have 3 teacher to student ratio’s. They are; 1:1, 1:6, and 1:12. To find out why,click here.Has your methods been tested and proven before?

Yes. Many visionary schools in advanced countries all over the world are integrating the use of technology in their classrooms and this is proven to increase student engagement and invariably – performance by a significant margin. For more details on how technology is revolutionising visionary classrooms around the globe click the following links:

A lot of Parents are worried that their Children are too young to benefit from early Childhood education and this concern is a legitimate one as putting your Child in school at a certain age (for academic reasons) is factually a waste of time and money. This is because what a Child needs a year to learn at the age of 3, h/she will need just a month to learn the same concept at the age of 5-7 because the brain is more developed at this age thereby giving virtually no advantage to the Child that started earlier. In fact, a study (2015) conducted in Denmark by the National Institute of Economic Research reveals that delaying the start of school until the age of seven provides mental benefit for the Child. Here is an excerpt from a publication analysing the study:

“There is strong evidence to suggest that delaying school until age seven reduced inattention and hyperactivity, with the benefits still showing until they are 11 years old (where the research ended).

Professor Thomas Dee, who co-authored the study with Hans Henrik Sieversten, explained the findings in a Stanford press release:

“We found that delaying kindergarten (until age seven) reduced inattention and hyperactivity by 73 percent for an average child at age 11,” Prof. Dee said, “and it virtually eliminated the probability that an average child at that age would have an ‘abnormal,’ or higher-than-normal rating for the inattentive-hyperactive behavioural measure.”

But what does that mean?

Reducing levels of inattention and hyperactivity is a key indicator of improved self-regulation.

Self regulation is a person’s ability to control their impulses and modify their behaviour when they are trying to accomplish goals. A higher level of self-regulation is linked to student achievement.

This study showed that children who started school later were able to sit still, pay attention and stay focussed for longer, which eventually resulted in higher scores at school.”

The findings of this study will come as no surprise to any critical thinker. At Skyline Futuristic, we recommend a minimum age of 5 years before enrolling your Child for basic education. Of course, there are light pre-basic education programs offered by schools and there are always exceptions to every rule; but it is important that the exception is undoubtedly an exception because starting up school early for your Child wherein she struggles to cope with school work is laying a bad foundation as it gives your Child a first impression of learning and education as something that is incomprehensibly complicated; and such impression vastly dampens interest, which dampens engagement, which in turn sabotages academic performance; and it is not uncommon for this dampened outlook towards education and learning to extend all the way to secondary school.

Currently, the school provides all gadgets and devices needed to cover all contents of the Nigerian and American basic education curriculum. Note that to get into advanced stages of programming and robotics(and for certain projects), your Child may be required to get a laptop.How do I locate your school?